Casket cover and grave liner



n l J. D. REED CASKETCOVER AND GRAVE LINER Filed ug. 14 1920 3Sheets-Sheet 1 s t l l n I l l 1| cit. 3U, H923.

J. D. REED GASKET COVER AND GRAVE LINER Filed Aug. 14, 1920 3Sheets-Sheet @et 30 H923.

J. D. REED GASKET COVER AND GRAVE LINER Fiied Aug. 14

1920 s sheets-shim 5 y .L, i l

Patented @et 303, 1923.

Nr n

GASKET COVER AND GRAVE LINER.

Application led August 14, 1920.

To all 107mm it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSHUA D. linnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Union Township, in the county of Clermont and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casket Covers andGrave Liners, of which the following is a Speciiication.

My invention relates to metalA grave liner, casket receptacle and casketlowering and protecting means. One of its objects is to provide meansadapted to be conveniently transported in knock-down condition, toreceive and hold the casket during the services at the cemetery and tobe lowered with and aii'ord a protection for the casket in the grave.Another object is to aiiord a more sightly means to receive and supportthe casket through the services at the cemetery and constitute acombined casket cover and grave liner. Another object is toprovide animproved casket cover to support the casket out or" any water which mayfind its way into the grave and to constitute a cover which is capableof preventing subsequent sinking' in of the soil after the grave hasbeen filled up. Another object is to provide an improved casket cover inwhich the top is applied from above and secured after the casket hasbeen placed in position. Another object is tol provide a casket cover inwhich the casket is only partially lowered into the cover until afterthe ceremony at the cemetery is completed, and is later further loweredinto the cover and the top of the cover applied. Another object is toprovide improved means to lower the casket into the cover and to lowerthe casket and cover into the grave. My invention also comprises certaindetails of form combination and arrangement, all of which will be fullyset forth in the description oit the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1, is a transverse section through a grave with my improved casketcover and a casket in the initial position, ready for the ceremony atthe grave to take place.

Fig. 2, is a similar section through the grave showing the finalposition of the casket and cover at the bottom of the grave.

Fig. 3, is a perspective view ot a link serial No. 403,563.

mechanism employed to temporarily snpport the casket in the upperportion of thc casket cover at the entrance to the grave.

Fig. 4, is a side elevation of one oi the link members. Fig. 3 is a linkmember in position to receive or lower a casket into its casket cover.

Fig. 5, is a perspective view of a casket cover closed and ready to belowered into the grave.

Fig. 6, is a horizontal section through the casket cover on line 6-6 ofFig. 5,

Fig. 7, is a vertical section view on line 7 7 of Fig. 5, 65

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail taken horizontally through onecorner ot' the casket cover in line with one of the clamping members 36of Figs. 5 and 7 Fig. 9, is a view on line 7 7 of Fig. 5, but with thelid sections of the casket cover removed.

Fig. 10, is a central vertical section through the casket cover with thelid removed and on line 10-10 of Fig. 6, w

Fig. 1l, is a transverse section through a grave and illustrating themeans employed to lower t-he casket and casket cover into the grave.

Fig. 12, is a perspective view of one of the detachable cross braces andlid supports at the top of the casket cover.

13 is a perspective view of one of the casket supporting cross barsatthe bottom of the casket cover. 4

The 'accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of myinvention in which 14 represent the end sections and 15 the sidesections, of a sheet metal casket cover, said sections being providedwith interlocking seam or joint members, 16 and 17 at opposite ends toenable said sections 14; and 15 to be transported in knock-downcondition and readily assembled at the place where required for use byuniting the joint members substantially as illustrated in Figures 6 and8. The respective-side sections 15 are provided with straps 18 neartheir lower edges to receive the downwardly turned ends 19 of the crossbars 20. These cross bars 20 are inserted immediately after the sidesand ends are assembled and serve to tie the sides and ends into a strongrigid structure, and also ultimately serve as a platform or support torthe casket 21, and to hold the casket some distance above the bottom otthe grave. rlllie end sections 14 have their lower ends 22 turnedinwardly to serve as feet or supports Yfor the casket cover at thebottom of the grave.

The casket cover with its lid ott is assembled at the grave and isdesigned initially to occupy a position partly above the entrance to thegrave, substantially as shown in Fig.v 1, and with two or more linkmembers 24 in position across the upper portion ot the casket cover witha. metal plate 29 resting` thereon to receive the casket into itsinitial position shown in Fig. 1. rllhe link members 24 each comprise a.central link member 25, two links ,26 attached thereto at opposite endsand provided with hooks 27 and with short links or eyes 28 through whichstraps may be passed, to lower the caskettrom its initial position shownin Fig. 1, toits position resting upon the cross bars 20. `Whenthecasket cover, the links 25, 2G and 28, and the plate 29 are in theposition Fig. 1, and before the casket is placed in position upon theplate 29, the said parts constitute, in addition to the casket cover, agrave liner to take the place of separate grave liners heretoforeemployed. It is designed to coat the upper portion of the' inside andoutside of the casket cover, said links 25, 2G, and 28, and plate 29,which are exposed to view, with white or other enamel, so that thecasket cov-er and grave liner will practically close and conceal thegrave, and present as favorable an appearance as the conditions willadmit.

r`With the casket and cover in the position Fig. 1, the usual ceremoniesat the grave proceed and when completed the casket and plate 29 arelowered by means oi the link members 24 to a position upon the crossbars 20, whereupon the mourners depart. Later 'the' links 24 may beremoved upwardly at one side of the casket.

Then the cross braces 30 are adjusted into positions across the upperedges ot the side sections 15 which are preferably provided with notches31 to receive the same. The cross braces ()V serve to stiften thestructure particularly to prevent bulging of the side sections due toweight from above, and to support the lid sections 32 and 33, which arein turn subject to relatively heavy pressure from above. The lidsections, 32 and 33 overlap the edges ot the side sections and overlapat the top so as to Vshed water 'from above'and are held in'place bymeans ot strap members 34 which are bolted together at the top or ridgeby bolts 35, and are secured to the sections 14 and 15 at the corners bymeans ot bolts 36 having heads 37, which bolts engage nuts: 3S, insidethe casket teriorly of the casket cover wit-li eyes 41, and

internally engaged by nuts 42. The bolts 37 and 40 pass through thejoint members 16 and 17 and serve to lock the sections 14 and 15together. lVindlass trame members 44 are temporarily mounted upon theground at opposite ends et the grave, being each provided with arotatable shaft 45 provided with two spools or cable drums 46 and 47, aratchet wheel 48 engaged by a pawl 49 and a crank arm 50. Cables 51 and52 are separately wound upon the drums 46 and 47 and through pulleys 53,which are adjustable to and from each other to' adjust them to the widthof the grave and with the ends of the cables connected to the eyes 41,thereby supporting the casket cover at its initial position shown inFig. 1 until' it is desired to low-er the casket when the pawls 49 aiedisengaged trom the wheels 48 and the crankA arms 50 employed to lowerthe casket and casket cover to the bottom of the grave, when the-cables51 and 52 are cast loose from the eyes 41 and the windlass members Yremoved and the grave filled in.

The casket rests somedistance above the bottom of the grave upon thecross bars 20, and any water which may enter the grave troni the topfinds its way down through the bottom ot the grave without. reaching thecasket. The sheet metal casket cover sustains the weight of the `groundabove it and hence the grave does not sink in, and require to be lilledin.

The casket cover being` composed .of flat sheetmetal sections, and minorparts, is readily transported, as tor instance to funerals in ruralsections ot the country, in the saine vehicle with the casket, andwithout being in evidence until required, and without requiring yaseparate. vehicle for its transportation over considerable distances. v

The casket cover is also readily assembled where required toruse, andwhen assembled is strong and rigid, and lends itself to being initiallyplaced as desired and herein specified, and the later lowering ot thecasket therein, and the casket and cover .into the grave. l

The apparatus herein illustrated and described is capable otconsiderable modification without departing troni the principles ot myinvention.

What I claim is: Y

`1. A. casket cover to be lowered into a grave with a casket comprisingsheet metal end sections and side sections detachably'k united at theirmeeting edges by slip joints to form a rectangular receptacle open atthe top and bottom, cross bars detachably connected near the bottom toretain said side sections and end sections in relative position and tosupport a casket, cross bars detachably connected near the top tosupport a lid, a sheet metal lid, and means to retain the lid inposition relative to said side sections and end sections.

2. A casket cover to be lowered into a grave with a casket comprisingsheet metal end sections having Atheir upper edges inclined trom thecenter toward opposite edges, side sections detachab-ly connected to theside edges of the end sect-ions by slip joints to form a rectangularcasket receptacle open at the top and bottom, cross bars detachablyconnected near the bottom to retain said side sections and end sectionsin relative position and to support a casket, and detachably secured lidsections to form a lid after the casket has been placed within thecasket cover.

3. combined grave liner and casket cover comprising end sections andside sections detachably united at their meeting edges by joints to forma casket receptacle open at top and bottom, cross bars detachablyconnected near the bottom to ultimately support a casket, means tosupport said receptacle at the entrance to a grave, and means detachablymounted upon said receptacle to initially support a casket at theentrance to said receptacle and adapted to later lower the casket intosaid receptacle.

a. A combined grave liner and casket cover adapted to be assembled whererequired or use comprising end sections having their upper edgesinclined from the center toward opposite sides, side sections detachablyconnected to said end sections to form a casket receptacle open at thetop, means to support said receptacle at the entrance to a grave, meansto support a casket initially at the entrance to said receptacle and tolater lower the casket into said receptacle, and means to ultimatelysupport the casket within said receptacle.

5. A sectional casket cover adapted to be assembled at the place whereit is required for use and to be lowered into a grave with a casketcomprising sheet metal end sections, and sheet metal side sectionsprovided at their meeting edges with interengagin joint members, andadapted when assembled to form a receptacle for a casket open at the topand bottom, detachable cross bars near the bottom ot said receptacle toretain said side sections and end sections in relative position and toform a support for the casket, a detachable lid member, and means toattach said sections, side sections and lid together.

6. A sectional combined grave liner and casket cover adapted to beassembled where required for use, comprising end sections and sidesections detachably connected together' to form a. casket receptacleopen at the top, means near the bottom of said receptacle to ultimatelysupport the casket, means mounted upon said receptacle to initiallysupport the casket at the entrance to said receptacle and to later lowerthe casket into said receptacle, and a lid to be applied after thecasket has been lowered into said receptacle.

7. A combined casket cover and grave liner comprising a casketreceptacle adapted to be supported partly within a grave entrance andopen at the top, a horizontally disposed plate suspended between the topand bottom of said receptacle, closing the entrance to the grave, andadapted to receive and support a casket during the services at thecemetery, and means to lower said plate with the casket thereon intosaid receptacle after the services are completed.

8. A combined casket cover and grave liner comprising al casketreceptacle adapted to be supported partly within a grave entrance andopen at the top, a horizontally disposed plate initially suspendedbetween the top and bottom of said receptacle closing the entrance tothe grave and adapted to receive and support a casket during theservices at the cemetery, means to lower said plate and casket into saidreceptacle after the services are completed, and means near the bottomof said receptacle to permanentu ly support said plate and casketrelative to said receptacle.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

JOSHUA D. REED.

